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The realm of neuroaesthetics has slowly been trickling into the field of fashion, albeit slightly late as compared to its counterparts - art and architecture. To break it down, this field bridges neuroscience and art, and at the crux of it lies the answer to why we find certain things visually appealing and emotionally moving. It has long been recognised that fashion reflects the cultural zeitgeist, and provides many opportunities to shape the trends of the future.
My fascination grows multifold upon reading about a collector prioritising a Telfar over a Birkin. Spending power tick, sure. Investment value background research - obviously, they know best so not even going there. But the looks of them all, the contour, the colour and the storytelling - when the aesthetics direct your add to cart decisions, it’s time to talk about neuroaesthetics.
Particularly concerned with the bizarre-yet-equally riveting puzzle of how our brains interpret art and beauty and why some visual components speak to us while others do not, studying certain brain mechanisms can yield glorious inferences. Notable philosopher Aristotle once said, “Beauty lies in harmony, proportion, and the orderly arrangement of parts, whether in nature or human creations.” Boy, he knew it all! And whilst this may promise the onset of a bubbling new scope of study for a layman (it’s been around for a while fyi), its implications in sales cycles, designing and marketing, promises a whole new world of bonding with tangible goods.
But despite its growing popularity in the scientific community, neuroaesthetics seems to struggle to gain considerable traction in the creative world.
With the promise to deliver something that is so novel, the usage of brain activity to gauge emotional reactions with regards to a new product and a campaign is, in a way, the data science equivalent to something that applies even to packaging. Researchers are now using technology to figure out how certain brain regions respond to particular colours, shapes, or patterns which in turn result in actions. A smile, could be a frown, maybe a raised eyebrow or best, the reverberatory echo of cha-ching!
The Million Dollar Question
And amidst all the chatter around conscious design picking up and becoming the next thing, there arises a question plaguing the minds of every single artist whose bread and butter is subjectivity. What about it? Not all creative minds are willing to adhere to this cut-copy-paste blueprint, and rightfully so. Does this deprive them of all of the joys of creating? On purpose and even on accident.
If it offers any consolation, no brain scan possess the foresight to tell how our views will be shaped by our individual histories, cultural circumstances, and even our current moods. What it tries to do with its findings, is strike a balance rather than reducing creativity to science or art to a formula. It's about embracing the emotion and unpredictability that first captivate art, fashion, and beauty while simultaneously using data to inform and improve design. And given how artists struggle to earn a living solely via their passions, the tool might just lend the field of arts some much-needed grounding in this capitalist society. And as for the artsy dreamers and do-gooders, their treasured possessions will always find a home.
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